


What Remained

by MarsFlameSniper



Category: Persona 5
Genre: And for the traitor's identity, F/F, Haru is crushing on Makoto, One-Sided Crush, Spoilers for the 6th Palace, this is a little bit fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-15 00:43:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11219676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarsFlameSniper/pseuds/MarsFlameSniper
Summary: After the Casino, Haru takes Makoto home.





	What Remained

In opposition to their Leader’s dramatic exit, the rest of the Phantom Thieves had been quiet and careful in their escape of Sae’s cognitive world. Their route to the treasure had been secured beforehand after all, and all eyes were off them for the moment.

Night had fallen by the time they made the crossover back into the real world, with no onlookers to witness a group of teens suddenly loitering outside the court buildings. 

Akechi left first, oblivious to the thread of tension running through his ‘teammates’, though even as he turned a corner and was lost from view, they remained vigilant enough not to mention their plans.

“All we can do now is wait,” Makoto announced after a moment, meeting the eyes of the others one by one.

“I know I say this after every infiltration, but now more than ever, try to lay low.”

In turn, they all nodded, and finally made their departures.

“Ann and I will walk you back to LeBlanc, ‘kay Futaba?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t forget me! Lady Ann, can I ride in your bag?”

“Ah…I don’t have enough for the fare home…”

Haru watched her friends chatter among themselves, glad of their spirit, even when things seemed at their lowest. It was so unlike the stifling atmosphere she had known for much of her life. She thought it almost apt that these sudden friends of hers had chosen a café as their hideout, their very essences were built to infuse hope into those around them.

She almost made to go with them to the train station, but paused. Turning back, she saw Makoto, who had made no move to follow them home.

“Mako-chan?” she wondered. The other girl was motionless, silent, and Haru stepped closer, growing concerned when she moved within touching distance and Makoto gave no indication she’d even noticed her presence.

She’d grown used to seeing Makoto as a figure of command within their group. If Joker was their wits and daring, then Queen was definitely their steel spine, and it had been hard for Haru not to feel just a little giddy when she heard her brisk orders in the heat of battle.

It was a different side to their tactician that Haru could see at that moment. The normally unyielding way she held herself had broken down, shoulders heavy and spine slumped. It was so unlike that bold girl she saw dashing into battle that Haru couldn’t help but reach out to her, to soothe whatever heaviness had taken over her.

Her fingers had barely ghosted over Makoto’s shoulder, but with that brief touch it seemed as if everything about Makoto slammed back into place. Like another person stood before her. She turned, as though she’d been lost in thought for just a second, rather than the few minutes it had surely been.

“Yes, Haru?”

But Haru couldn’t forget the way Makoto’s face had seemed so empty as she looked back at the courthouse. She had seemed beyond weary, as though going through her sister’s Palace had taken more than she’d had left to give. Even as curiosity brushed over the girl’s face, Haru saw the way her eye twitched, the way her muscles wavered, as if keeping herself upright, keeping herself okay in front of her friend, was a colossal effort.

“Mako-chan…would you like me to walk you back home?”

Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting the question, as confusion twisted across her brow.

“But, don’t you live further out than I do? I wouldn’t want to put you out.”

“Nonsense,” Haru said, taking her arm into the crook of her elbow and leading them forwards, “I think it would be safer right now if we stick together yes? And besides, the others are already too far ahead to catch up to.”

Makoto sighed, but seemed to find no issue with her logic, and continued to let Haru guide her along. Haru was surprised at how compliant she was being, but not ungrateful.

They reached the station and boarded in silence, though several times Makoto would open her mouth as if to speak. Her soft intakes of breath reaching Haru’s ears before she would give up on whatever was on her mind and remain silent.

They swayed from side to side in their seats as the tram brought them away from the city, though Haru did not relinquish her hold on Makoto’s arm. If she minded, nothing was said, though Haru doubted Makoto was in any state of mind to really care.

She watched from the corner of her eye as Makoto’s body would sink down minutely, almost as if she was moments away from sleep, and then jerk upright again. Each time this happened, her head would turn, just slightly, in Haru’s direction, as though she was reminding herself of her presence.

The fourth time this happened, she heard a muttered “-sorry.” so low that she wasn’t even sure if it was truly meant for her.

The sixth time, she slid herself inches closer to the right, so that midway through the seventh time, Makoto was gently pulled downwards, her head resting on Haru’s shoulder instead.

“You’ve been holding all this in for a long while, haven’t you?” she asked before Makoto could pull away. “With your sister, I mean.”

Even as a newcomer, she had been able to sense the strange wall Makoto seemed to hold around herself, even if the cause wasn’t apparent. Only after the Phantom Thieves had begun discussing Sae Niijima, and seeing Makoto’s feelings laid bare: a mixture of longing, frustration and acceptance as plans were formed around her, did Haru understand where that sense of distance came from.

“Sis,” Makoto breathed slowly, “it’s like, every day she seemed to pull further away from the person she used to be. She’d come home sometimes and I could barely recognise her.”

“Because of her job?”

“I think so. And because of what happened to our dad, I guess.”

Haru sighed, understanding.

“People also lose themselves when someone they love goes away. Almost as if they take a part of them with them. My father also changed after my mother-“

She was interrupted by Makoto jerking upright, her face contrite.

“I’m sorry, I’m here burdening you with this while you’re already dealing with so much after your father… Forget I said anything.”

Haru was about to protest, reaching to take the other girl’s arm once again, but the sudden lurch of the train and rush of the crowd forced away her words. 

Makoto stood, wearing a smile that reached everything but her eyes, and nodded towards Haru.

“Thank you for taking me back. Be careful on your way home. Goodbye Haru,”

And before Haru knew what to say, Makoto had turned and joined the crowd. 

She gaped for a moment, the sudden derailment of their conversation barely processing in her mind. What did register though was the chill along her right arm, her skin protesting the absence of Makoto’s warmth. And instead of dwelling on her confusion, she stumbled to her feet, hurrying after Makoto as she left with the departing crowd.

“Mako-chan, wait!”

She tried her best to force her way through the surge of people, praying she wouldn’t lose the taller girl in the crowd, finally resorting to a few thrown elbows and heavy stomps of her feet in order to move the sluggish commuters out of her way.

Still though, it wasn’t until she mounted the stairs back to the overground and broke free of the crush of people that she finally had a chance to catch up to Makoto.

“Mako-chan!”

Makoto seemed genuinely shocked as she turned and saw Haru behind her.

“You followed me? I thought your stop was after mine?”

Determined, even through her slight breathlessness, Haru took hold of Makoto’s arm once again and continued to walk.

“I said that I would walk you home.”

“But…”

A sudden thought struck Haru.

“Will your sister be home?” she didn’t miss the rigidness that gripped her at the mention of Sae.

“…probably not. The police caught the leader of the infamous Phantom Thieves after all. She’ll most likely be at work all night building a case.”

“Well then.” Haru said, her mind made up, and though she sensed the other girl’s confusion, she knew better than to explain and give her a chance to refuse her help. 

They continued on mostly in silence, with Makoto giving directions once or twice once she realized Haru had both no intention of letting her walk back alone, and no idea where she actually lived.

Finally they reached the sisters’ shared apartment. Haru barely gave Makoto a moment after unlocking the door before she made her way inside, pulling Makoto along in her wake.

“I’m sorry,” Haru said, looking a little sheepish, though her eyes still glittered with determination. “Ordinarily, I would ask to be invited inside but, and forgive me for this Mako-chan, I didn’t want you to be alone with your thoughts.”

“You really don’t have to-”

“Do you just want to go straight to sleep? Or are you hungry?”

Resigned, Makoto swallowed the rest of her protest. She forced out a ‘no’ and let herself be led to her own bedroom.

As she registered the terse response, Haru worried that she had finally crossed a line in dragging the other girl around her own home without a say in the matter. Or perhaps she’d been holding in her anger since she’d caught up with her and now, in the privacy of her own home, she’d finally tell her to leave her alone. 

Stopping, she glanced back over her shoulder.

“Would you rather I just leave? I just wanted to make sure you were alright, but perhaps I’ve gotten carried away.”

“No, it’s alright,” Makoto said at last, “in fact…well it’s nice to see you take charge like this, so to speak. Your confidence is endearing.”

“R-really?!” she blurted, hardly expecting the compliment. Her heart began beating in double time as she realised she’d effectively been referred to as cute and she quickly pushed open what she hoped was the door to Makoto’s bedroom. Feeling her start to pull level was all the confirmation she needed and Haru prayed the other girl wouldn’t comment on her sudden flustered state.

Makoto moved over to her dresser, and Haru noticed that the weariness from earlier seemed to have settled over her again now that she was in familiar surroundings.

“It’s nice, you’re nice,” she mumbled, already busying herself with finding a set of nightclothes.

Haru smiled to herself, pleased. She wondered if Makoto would be this open when she was more awake and opted not to think about that, instead choosing to examine her surroundings whilst the other girl changed behind her.

The room was a little spartan, which was expected, if not disappointing, though she couldn’t help but spot the cute assortment of panda stationary on Makoto’s desk. There were panda pens, a ruler, and even a calculator, decorated with a children’s mascot character, though Haru was unsure which.

They looked odd, but not unwelcome among Makoto’s other possessions and it reminded Haru of the shifts she’d often seen in her friend. Rigid one moment and soft the next, as though she was locked in a state of indecision.

“Um.”

Haru turned back around, giggling a little as she noticed that in her tiredness, Makoto had buttoned her sleep shirt up incorrectly, the holes all muddled up. She decided not to mention it, liking these oddly cute flashes of Makoto under her oft mature exterior.

“Are you ready to sleep now?”

The answer was a yawn, and she moved automatically, pulling back the covers on Makoto’s bed and gently ushering the clearly exhausted girl in.

“Did you want to stay the night?” Makoto asked her as Haru pulled the covers back up, “I should have asked before.”

Haru hummed in response, “much as I would love to, I know the staff at home would worry if I’m away for too long. Some other time though?”

Makoto’s eyes had shut, but she said something that sounded enough like a confirmation to have Haru already feeling excited at the prospect.

Slowly, she made to leave, but was surprised when Makoto’s arm shot out from under the covers and grasped her fingers.

“…please stay,” she breathed softly. “Sorry. Just for a while?”

She glanced at the clock above the desk. It was late, and the staff would be worried. But…

Makoto’s fingers were light against her own, and one drowsy eye fluttered open as often as it could to look at her.

Bending over, Haru placed a quick kiss to her forehead, one she wished might be remembered in the morning, and settled herself down on the edge of the bed.

“Sis…used to sit here…like this,” Makoto said, fighting sleep. Despite herself, Haru was interested; she’d assumed the topic of her sister was closed.

“She did?”

“Hmm…stopped after dad…said she didn’t have time…I wished she’d come back.”

“In more ways than one I suppose,” Haru said quietly, but she could see the words had already fallen on deaf ears, sleep having finally taken its hold on Makoto.

She thought about the last moments they’d spent with her sister’s Shadow self, the words Makoto had said to her. They hadn’t taken Sae’s treasure, but Haru wondered if they’d really needed to.

“She might find her way back Mako-chan,” she said, “but if she doesn’t, I’m here.”

As Makoto slept, fingers still clutching hers, Haru watched and thought of the sunrise.


End file.
